Brag it up a bit Loungers - What in your life are you most proud of?

[rurallib]

Your Kids?

A project at work?

Your spouse?

your exercise program?

Helping a neighbor? Or an aging parent?

Being involved in civic project?

Saving animals?

your house and grounds?

Election work?

being in a band?

Your car?

More than one thing?

I am truly curious - I think this is quite a collection of humanity we have here who like most humans don't like to talk about themselves. take a few moments and tell us what you are proudest of.

I will chime in a little later with mine.

[lovemydog]

1. I'm good with animals

and I volunteer one day a week at a horse shelter. I'm proud of this because horses helped build our country in so many ways, and I love them. I'm helping make their lives better. We get some adopted out to good farms. One horse I worked with for a year is now with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), clearing trails.

[rurallib]

3. animals can tell good people

that is something to be proud of!

[lovemydog]

6. Wow, that's awesome!

Thank you!

[shenmue]

2. Sometimes I walk doggies and cuddle cats

At the local shelter.

[rurallib]

4. they really need the love.

[lovemydog]

5. Yay - you rock!

[shenmue]

10. Kthx

[rug]

7. My kids, by far.

[rurallib]

9. young? older? out of HS?

just curious - don't say nothing you don't want to. Good kids usually have good parents

[rug]

11. Youngest is 12, oldest is 22.

The middle one is graduating HS next month. the other two are in 9th grade and a freshman in college.

None of them have done anything spectacular but they are good human beings.

[rurallib]

12. I think most parents are probably proudest of their kids

sounds like you have a good group.

[rug]

13. Yeah. But it goes way beyond proud, doesn't it?

[rurallib]

14. true, true

[DamnYankeeInHouston]

15. Starting my own tiny school

at home after 33 years in Houston's public schools.

[rurallib]

16. great idea.

[lovemydog]

17. Hey, that's super cool

Good for you! What ages do you teach?

[DamnYankeeInHouston]

20. Preschool 3 - 5

I was scared about having such little ones, but they are now my new favorite age group.

[frogmarch]

18. Well, let’s see... I’m proud of my kids, grandkids and

my firstborn great-grandchild, of course!

Here are some things I’ve accomplished for myself that I’m proud of:

In the 1980s I overcame severe agoraphobia and went to work at a paleontological site visited by hundreds of people a day, whom I interacted with easily. In the summer I even gave tours.

Even though I didn’t become the novelist of my daydreams, I wrote a handful of short stories, and my collection won an ezine’s Editor’s Choice award

I’m not artistic in the slightest, but I’d always wanted to make a miniature diorama, so I made two.

I took online voice lessons so I could sing along at family gatherings without sounding like Harvey Fierstein, and now I blend in just fine. My speaking voice is better too.

Today I am proud of myself for finally picking up Ty and Abby’s thousands of dog toys and vacuuming the living room!

[crim son]

19. My kids, definitely.

My oldest has a degree in systems engineering and a minor in mathematics, and is quickly making a name for herself at the company she works for down in Boston. Dream job, I didn't know they still existed. My son, a junior in the same program as his sister, just left for San Diego to do his summer internship as a diagnostic engineer for another fantastic company that, so far, has been courting him like a lover. And my youngest, only fourteen, who will no doubt follow the same path, is very enthusiastic about his future. Did I mention that my daughter is also a published scientific author AND a published poet? My boys have promised me I will never want for anything and while I realize that's not part of their life's duty, I appreciate their thoughts. My life as a single mother may be a mess but I've done three things right. Thanks for the opportunity to crow.

[rurallib]

23. Good job, crim son.

You definitely paved their way.

[hobbit709]

21. Managing to stay alive for almost 64 years now.

[rurallib]

22. lot to be said for that, considering the alternative

I have achieved that also.
In my case it is 13 years longer than my mother and 5 years longer than my father.

[pinboy3niner]

31. Especially if you came close to dying young

And if a lot of your friends died young.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

24. First, my daughters...

And also my having gotten a few choice poems published.

[rurallib]

25. I think many have two or 3 levels of pride

first for you family and loved ones
Second for civic or workplace
Then on a personal level for some special things that we have done on our own.

I know you have mentioned your kids before.
Have you treated us to one of your poems? I could easily have missed it.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

27. Nope, I haven't posted any recently.

I used to get so much flack from some people that I decided it wasn't worth it. Sorry...

Check my Journal, if you want to. If I have posted any, it will be in there.

[Le Taz Hot]

26. I'm proud of my lifelong activism

(joining the 99March here in California as we speak). There are several other things but one of the funnest is entering stuff into our County Fair every year. I LOVE winning ribbons. I'm planning on entering 11 different things this year. Can't wait!

[rurallib]

30. you are among the ones I admire. Someone who lives what they believe

it is hard to do. Thank you for following through!

[OriginalGeek]

28. My Step-sons call me dad

and introduce me as such rather than "step-father".


My oldest asked me to be best man at his wedding and now his daughters call me Paw-paw.


I grew up with an intolerant, bigoted, right-wing religious nutjob step-father (and I will be happy to one day hear of his passing). I left home at 17 to get away from him and the only important thing I learned from him was how to not be a father.

[rurallib]

29. I can understand why you would be proud

you really earned the position of Dad.
Happy Father's day early!

[rurallib]

32. My own issues of pride

One is personal, one family, and one civic.

First is my 2 daughters who are in their mid-30s. Both have far exceeded my dreams for them. The oldest is a vice-president in a midsized insurance firm. The youngest is currently a stay-at-home mother after her husband's promotion. She was a very successful science teacher prior to motherhood.

Second on the civic level is involvement with a mentoring program to help kids from poor families prepare and work toward college. Our first mentee will graduate from HS next year, well prepared for success we feel.

And on the personal level is giving blood, platelets and white cells. I am now in year 47 hoping to make it to 50. I have written of it before, so won't recount it here. But it is a longevity record I think few achieve ( well except for Skittles).

[Coventina]

33. My degree in art history, and the bands I've been able to see live.

Pretty lame in terms of accomplishments, but that's pretty much all I have.

B-52's
Berlin
Big Audio Dynamite
Billy Idol
Blondie
Bobby McFerrin
Bryan Ferry
Cake
The Call
Concrete Blonde
The Cramps
Crowded House
The Cult
The Cure
Cyndi Lauper
David Byrne
Dead Milkmen
Depeche Mode
Echo & the Bunnymen
Eurythmics
Roddy Frame
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Front 242
Gene Loves Jezebel
The Go-Go's
Green Day
Guadalcanal Diary
Howard Jones
Indigo Girls
INXS
Jane Wiedlin
Jesus and Mary Chain
Jewel
Laibach
Love and Rockets
Madonna
Ministry
Moby
Morrissey
Mumford and Sons
Natalie Merchant
New Order
Nine Inch Nails
No Doubt
Sinead O'Connor
Oingo Boingo
OMD
Pet Shop Boys
Peter Murphy
Pixies
Public Image Ltd.
REM
The Ramones
The Replacements
Reverend Horton Heat
Sarah McLachlan
The Selector
Simple Minds
Siouxsie and the Banshees
Sisters of Mercy
The Smithereens
The Smiths
Social Distortion
The Specials
Tegan and Sara
The The
They Might Be Giants
Thompson Twins
Tom Tom Club
Tracy Chapman
U2
Vampire Weekend
Violent Femmes
Weird Al Yankovic

There are probably some I've forgotten......

[begin_within]

34. Taking care of my Mom 24/7 for the final 12 years of her life.

[Callmecrazy]

35. I can play the harmonica using my nose.

[pinboy3niner]

36. I smell a Nobel Prize

[Ohio Joe]

37. I saved the world. ..

Someone had to do it.

[femmocrat]

38. My wonderful sons and beautiful granddaughter.

Family always comes first.

[trof]

39. Getting a USAF flyover for my friend's memorial service.

Paul was a fighter pilot.
WW II Ace.
5 kills.
Shot down over the Med and survived.
He was career Air Force.

AFAIK his involvement in the return of downed U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers from Russia is still 'classified'.

I had to work my way up the chain of command to the Secretary of the Air Force to get authorization, but I was able to make it happen.

4 F-16s from the Alabama ANG.
Missing Man formation right over the memorial site.
Perfect.

[rurallib]

42. You are a good friend

[fizzgig]

40. I'm a pretty damn good cook

I love feeding people. I'm working on my baking now.

[rurallib]

41. and still not smoking?

do everything tastes better!

[fizzgig]

48. had a minor setback

i'm going through a nasty depressive episode right now and bought a pack a few days ago as it was the only thing i could come up with for comfort (lame, i know). all they did was give me a headache, so it's back to the pen.

[pinboy3niner]

43. I post jokes

I kid around a lot, get a few DUzys. My jokes crack me up, whether or not anyone else gets them. In life, humor is important.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

44. I have never been arrested for public drunkenness or indecent exposure.

I have never cheated on my income taxes.
I am kind to animals.
I recycle.
I can read music.
I did not get kicked out of college.
I am not anybody's nemesis.

That's about it.

[pinboy3niner]

49. Yet

[jrandom421]

45. Being living proof of the saying "Living well is the best revenge"

As a kid, I was ridiculed and ganged up on mercilessly, because I wasn't a "typical" kid. Even my parents thought I had mental issues, having all sort of problems dealing with people. They actually thought I'd have to live in a group home, working in a "protected" workshop, assembling parts into bigger parts, because I was so different and fascinated by technical things. It wasn't until I got to college, and majored in computer science and engineering, that I got any sort of respect.

And it wasn't until I was in my 40's that I was finally diagnosed as a high-functioning Asperger on the autistic spectrum. From there, my career has taken off, and I have become kind of a systems guru in a high tech mecca, with commensurate income, respect, and corporate influence, something my parents, siblings, the few friends I had, and my teachers were astounded to see.

And that has led me to say, "I'm living proof that living well is the best revenge, especially on those who doubted you or thought you'd fail."

[rurallib]

52. he who laughs last laughs best.

keep it up!

[kwassa]

46. I saved a woman from drowning.

as I was saved from drowning by my father when I was a small child.

A certain symmetry to this.

Haunauma Bay in Hawaii, a Japanese tourist getting swept out to sea. I just happened to be close, and when I looked around there was no one else. I didn't know what I was doing, but I managed this.

[rurallib]

50. !

[HipChick]

47. My job...I can work from anywhere on the Globe

as long as I have an internet connection...I spend about 6 months of the year on a tiny island

[rurallib]

51. you are living so many people's dream.